From Bad Bunny to the Olympics: How America's Regaining Its Backbone

Stories from the front line of the Culture War (and our own role in the skirmishes ahead)

I have a confession to make: I don’t have strong opinions about Bad Bunny’s halftime performance or his music. I enjoy the Winter Olympics, but can’t say I live or die by them, or the athletes—besides Lindsey Vonn. I didn’t watch the Grammys or pay attention to which artists spoke out against ICE.

I might be the exception because each of these events has been a flashpoint in the ongoing Culture War between MAGA and the rest of America. Enough pieces have been written about the current state of the Culture War, and it appears that, as of this writing, Trump and MAGA are currently losing it.

I am less interested in watching these specific events and more interested in what they say about the current state of Trump’s hold on America, its institutions, and most importantly, its people.

America Afraid

Think back to just over a year ago. America’s cultural institutions were afraid to go against Trump/ruffle MAGA’s feathers. SNL is an illustrative example. The episode after Trump’s election, they spent much of it kowtowing to him in a joking and self-aware way. Their episode directly preceding Trump’s second inauguration deployed Dave Chappelle (perhaps as a fellow cancel culture victim, depending on your view) to plead with Trump, “Do not forget your humanity and please have empathy for displaced people”. These were signals to America about our new authoritarian age, which would soon see major institutions from prestigious law firms to universities bend the knee to Trump. Professors, scientists and various celebrities literally fled the country, including noted authoritarianism scholar, Timothy Snyder, who ironically led his “resist-the-libs” bible, “On Tyranny” with the edict, “Do not obey in advance”. Snyder obeyed in advance. And many of our cultural institutions, political leaders, and artists seemed to fall in line.

That’s what makes Bad Bunny’s speech at the Grammys and his halftime performance so notable. It’s why Olympians speaking out matters. Why the NBA canceling Minnesota’s game after the murder of Alex Pretti breaks through (some of) the noise. Popular culture and media—despite their fragmentation—continue to both set and reflect the terms of our national conversation. Bad Bunny, artists at the Grammys, and our Olympians all had the courage and felt they had the space to say something. They act as the beacons to everyday Americans who might otherwise remain quiet.

It’s human nature to be influenced by those we interact with in person and online. We take our cues from our friends and family, but also our public figures. When Americans see people in public positions who have nothing to do with our political system speaking out, it can become popular to speak out. Impossible to measure but real nonetheless. Because silence begets silence but conversations spark fire for action.

It also rebuts the “lol, nothing matters” theory that sometimes becomes popular. Nothing is inevitable. Policy impacts politics impacts culture impacts popularity (or perhaps vice versa). Going after all undocumented immigrants - not just those who commit crimes - and the resulting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti matter. Tariffs increasing prices for Americans matter. Slow walking and covering up the Epstein files matter. Americans notice and Trump’s popularity plummets.

America Unafraid

And so, our cultural figures speak out. People post in random sports subreddits about the Epstein Files. A subreddit about catbongos says, ICE Out, after the deaths of Good and Pretti. These acts feed one another, and even people who normally disdain what they consider loud and combative politics, realize that it’s not “politics” to want their fellow Americans to not be murdered, that immigration is a core American value, that prices are too high, and that we should hold billionaires accountable if they’re in the Epstein Files. As was noted here recently, each act, each statement, is a sign, a permission, an implicit exhortation, and the start of a conversation: about our values and who we want to be.

These are the sparks and the kindling of a shifting tide. Many are witnessing it. But we must each participate in it. We must talk to our friends and family because some don’t hold our same field of view and certainly don’t share our information bubbles. When we share a meme that undercuts MAGA’s message, when we reach out to a friend who we might not often agree with to start a well meaning conversation about what’s going on in Minnesota or the Epstein Files or another hard to defend outrage- that becomes impossible to miss and serves as the fuel to victory. Each of our actions builds on one another and momentum can take hold. But we must be the momentum and the backbone, or else the tide turns again.

I’ll say again: Trump is starting to lose the culture war. He’s losing the culture war because Americans are fed up with his vision and governance of America. It starts with Bad Bunny. It ends with each of us, in our words and actions that our communities witness, online and in person. And eventually, the roaring fire becomes too large and too loud to ignore.

This piece was written by an UNASB club member who wishes to remain anonymous. If you would like to join the club, please signup for the waitlist here.